the show chevrolet it's almost friday, folks. we'll see you tomorrow for another version of "fox & friends." this time, huh? here we go again, thursday, weeky jobs numbers is out and we're not going in the right direction, the number of americans filing for first time claims rising to 465,000, the first increase in five weeks. we'll get to that in a moment. meanwhile, jobs are in focus on a very big day for republicans rolling out the pledge to america this rolling, a plan they say focuses on some of the biggest issues facing americans today. we will hear from the house minority leader john boehner and others this hour. a lot of comparisons to 1994, 16 years ago, a substantial difference from where we are today. that's where we start, i'm bill hemmer, welcome. martha: good a place to start as any, good morning i'm martha maccallum. it's called the pledge to america, it's designed to

tackle the big stuff on voters' minds right now, mainly spending and health care. bill: herry some of the highlights, a move to permanently stop all job killing tax hikes, repeal or scale back health care reform, and a cut on federal spending. shannon bream is live in sterling, virginia, just outside washington, which was a big swing area in 2008 with voters. what will republicans say this morning? shannon, good morning there. >> reporter: good morning, bill. they're going to roll out this pledge with america and whenty do that this morning we're going to hear more about what you talked about, a lot of folks saying what are you going to do, they're talking about what they're going to undo. we're getting a look at the first formal pledge here by jay gibson, our producer. here's a first look at what they're going to say but it's as much about undoing things as much as doing things, getting rid *t health care bill, repealing tax hikes and basically getting government out of

business. we talked to senator bacchus and here's what he said. >> too big to fail is not about america. america is about people and opportunity. it's not about taking from the people and redirecting that to go to the government. >> gop says the government has overstepped, their plan is to reign it back in, bill. bill: we have heard that theme but the primaries, and the primary season, we'll likely hear it for the next some odd days. the reaction from democrats, how are they able to counter this message? reporter error you knew they would waste no time once we get a look at the items on here. we're hearing from top democrats in the house, steny hoyer, nancy pelosi as well, hoyer's office put out something that they sort of call a twist on the pledge to america, me say what this is a is a pledge to built -- to wall street, insurance

companies, a pledge to oil companies, they say it's not a good pledge for america and the spokesman for nancy pelosi's office says it's did tax cuts for bill yours and shipping jobs overseas, so they're wasting no time for saying this gives them something to run on in the election period. bill: are you at a hardware store, and small business in america, they have told us repeatedly they've been ignored. as we reflect in 2010 on the differences for the first contract in 1994, how different is it, shannon? >> reporter: well, even in just a rollout bill that you can see, that rollout back in 1994, contract with america, was on the steps of the u.s. capitol, everybody was in a suit and tie, there were dozens of lawmakers and candidates who actually physically signed on to this pledge, these ten items. today, we're out in suburban virginia, outside of washington, it's at a lumber yard, and this rollout today is going to start with a small business round table, they it's all about focusing on jobs, the economy, the folks we've seen here this morning, congressmen and

women, they're not in suits and ties, they've got their shirt sleeves rolled up and are ready to get down to business. they want this to be a different rollout. they say a lot of the ideas are parallel from 1994 but they say this time they listened to the american people, they say these ideas come from the people, their just rolling them out. bill: we're in standby for that event to begin. thank you, shannon. president obama has weighed in on this, taking on the pledge to america, a fund-raiser last night in new york city, slamming the republicans, calling it more of the same, quote, they might be announcing some new details but the chair of one of their campaign committees already told us their intentions. he said that if the other party takes control of congress, they plan to pursue, i'm quoting now, the exact same agendas they did during the last administration. end quote. last night, new york city, martha. martha: just what are they pledging to do? take spending back to '08 levels without touching the defense national security funds. can they do that? stuart varney, anchor of varney & company on the fox business network joins us

now. stuart, it sounds nice on paper, certainly would save money. can they do it? >> if you take control of the house and senate, if the republicans win, really, really big, and they can override a presidential veto in the unlikely event that they can do that, yes, they can roll back spending to 2000 levels. they could do whatever they want, if they get a massive majority in congress. okay. what they're really doing here is laying out a statement of spwhrepbt, and what they're also doing is making a very sharp contrast with what the obama plan already is. it's a dual of two chick plans, the republicans want smaller debt, less tax and republican president -- and president obama is running on his record that the economic teal and policy has got in place. martha, there is one caveat here, we do not know what president obama's future economic plan is going to be because most of his economic team has jumped ship. they're gone. and until we get people who are going to replace them,

we don't know what the economic plan of the future is going to be. the three people on the screen, they're gone. they wrote the obama economic policy. they are gone. we don't know what the new policy may or may not be until we've got replacement names. martha: that's a very good point, you know, and it remains to be seen whether or not president obama himself and his own philosophy about how to fix the economy could be altered by anybody he would bring in to advise him. >> that's the question, will he pivot to the center or will he maintain his current position of more government spending, higher taxes. will he do it. martha: all right stuart varney, good questions, a lot of what we're going to address today. thank you sir. >> thank you martha. martha: for all coverage of this doving story this morning, this is a very interesting piece of ideas that's being rolled out here. log on to foxnews.com, click on read the pledge, you can get a look at it yourself, it is about 21 pages, i believe, and it's on our home page, there you can find all the details of this plan, including some great reporting pieces on this story from our political team in washington, that

gives you some perspective kaopbd text on all of this, fox news.com is your front row seat, like we have in the white house briefing room, you can be there, too, to see what's going on. check it out. bill: martha, another fox news alert now, waiting on president obama, set to deliver a major address today at the united nations. mike emanuel is live in our new york city newsroom. mike, good morning to you. camping out here in gather a.m. all week long. it's great to have you -- to have you. what is expected in the speech this morning? >> reporter: good morning. we expect the president to talk about the middle east peace sproes and he's going to say israel's right to exist should not be up for debate. he's going to call this a very old conflict and say that without seizing the moment, essentially, we'll be back here next year making big speeches again about the middle east peace sproes. and the president will say the following: quote, this time, we should reach for what's best within ourselves, if we do, when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of

the united nations, an independent state of palestine, living in peace with israel. the president's aides know that will obviously be a very heavy lift but once again we have an american president trying to lead on this issue, bill. bill: what other issues are on the agenda? we've already heard him speak a couple of times in new york. what else is out there, mike? >> reporter: a lot of discussion about the threats from iran and north korea. the president's wants to provide an update on the wars in iraq and afghanistan, downdoubtedly want to go talk about what he considers a responsible drawdown to the war in iraq and where he sees things going in afghanistan. obviously, you mentioned there are concerns here in this country about the economy, there are great concerns of the global economy, so we expect that to be a hot topic of discussion while the president is here. bill: thank you for that. mike emanuel, good to see you again, in person, up here in new york. big events coming up this hour. you'll see the republican leadership, their pledge to america and the president, the big message at the u.n.

martha: busy morning. busy couple of hours. also, this is a very serious thing, there's a warning out there about one of the world's biggest products that is given to babies. that i recall pulling it from the shelves. we're going to tell you what you need to know. then there is this this morning. she asked a question that is resonating all across this country. mr. president, is this my new reality? >> my husband and i joked for years, we thought we were well beyond the beans era of our lives but quite frankly, it's starting to knock on our door and ring true that that might be where we're headed again. martha: velma hart joins us live, we're going to ask her whether she was happy with how president obama responded to her questions and all about this issue of the new reality, which i think everybody across the country is asking, is it thiso he is this it, is this where we are for a while. bill: and they've been called the party of no. find out why they say forget about that. will they keep the tea party

folks happy? do you folks think the gop will deliver on the pledge? take our poll on our website at foxnews.com, yes, no, not sure. do that during the commercial break, and martha and i return after this.

>> i'm one of your middle class americans and quite frankly i'm exhausted. i'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the man for change that i voted tporbgs and deeply disappointed with where we are right now. i've been told that i voted 230 a -- for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. i'm one of those people and i'm waiting. i'm waiting. i don't feel it yet. bill: what a comment that was. that's vel ma hart, in her comment about hot dogs and beans, it's spreading to every cookout in america. vel ma hart is my guest from washington, d.c. good morning, ms. hart and thank you for your time today. i know you're off to your

job in a matter of moments here, we tried to squeeze new, you support two children in private schools as you explained the other day in that town hall meeting. i want to make it clear i've seen new other interviews and i've heard you say that you believe in president obama's vision, you're still a supporter of his, but the comment that got my attention was when you said you were exhausted of defending him. now, in politics today, we all have these discussions with our families and our friends and our colleagues about where the country is headed. what did you mean by the exhaustion you expressed in defending the current administration? >> well, you may remember, there were three components to that, there was defending him, his administration, and my own vote for change, because i support that vote for change. and so i'm not going to let people talk negatively about the progress that we're making, when we know that there's a bureaucratic system that is limiting that progress. and so that's really what i meant. and i honestly thought, and

the president's very gracious, i thought his response was going to be thelma, i'm exhausted, too. i don't understand why people don't get what it is i want to do, and there is so much bureaucratic process to get through to get that. bill: would you have been satisfied had he said that? the impression i get is that you weren't satisfied with what came back at you. >> oh, i was satisfied with his answer, because i just wanted him to answer the question. i wasn't looking for a specific outcome. i had no specific answer that i was looking for. i wanted him to address the question, and i think he addressed the question, but for that last section, on is this the new reality. but i think he addressed the question and i'm satisfied with the answer that he gave me. bill: as you sit here today, and listen, you become like joe the plumber, and martha and i are going to buy tickets you -- when you and joe the plumber have the national debate. all kidding aside, what you touched on was this disconnect that a lot of americans feel, and that's why frankly they're going out and voting in huge

numbers during these primaries. now, why is there this disconnect in america today between what the president has done and what he has said, and your reality? >> i don't think there's a disconnect. i think there's a slower progress than we would expect. or maybe not expect, but would have hoped would have been in place by now. i think what has happened is that the president, with the bold agenda that he has set out, is just having difficulty navigating and getting his agenda passed and moving forward. and i think there are a -- a lot of reasons for that, and i think that we are not help thank process at all, either. bill: if it's been that difficult, maybe it's not the right agenda. >> that's a fair position for you to take, and certainly, one of the considerations that ought to be on the table. bill the reason i bring that up is because in 45 minutes the republicans will announce their pledge to america. will you listen to that, will you read it, will you give it consideration? >> as i've said, if you've been following the interviews, you know that

the parties don't matter. it's the substance that matters to me. and so i want to hear from all sides. i think we need all sides as pa of this discussion in order to make meaningful change and to make the right decisions going forward, so of course i'll listen to it. i think it's an important part of the landscape, but at the end of the day, i believe in the change that i voted for, and that's the change i'm going to support to the very end. bill: you know the final point here, and i'll let you go, i know you've got to get to your job, a lot of times when these white house events are set up, their kind of staged and they know that the direction they want -- because they have a message me want to get out to the american people. do you think you surprised him with the points you were making? >> i don't know. i can't read what was in the president's heart. as far as i know, this was not a white house event. i thought this was a town hall meeting set up with cnbc, so that was the direction i came from. bill: any time the president goes out to talking and take questions in a format like this, it's a white house

event. >> well, and what i was about to go on to say is i'm sure there was some coordination on that, but i don't know whether the president was aware of the type of questions he would receive or not. i don't know any of that. all i know is that i had an opportunity to speak to a man that i truly admire, that i believe that can help us all move forward, and i wanted to ask a difficult question, because we are in challenging times and difficult questions are going to get us moving forward. bill: listen, a lot of people heard you loud and clear. good luck in your job today, good luck supporting your two children, your husband is a very lucky man. >> oh, thank you. bill: thank you for the work you do for veterans across the america and when you and joe the plumber hook up, let us know. >> i don't know joe the plummer, i'm not connected! bill: see you later, have a great day. >> thank you sir. bill: 19 minutes past the hour. martha: very interesting. a level woman. very interesting. it's good. coming up, here's what we have for you. one woman's complaint, sparking a major courthouse sex scandal in wisconsin. >> such as you know, me and

my family in traverse city, what are they doing, i really encourage women who have had this to come forward and say this is not okay. martha: boy, have you heard about this situation? that woman and two others are claiming that this high profile prosecutor tried to handle much more than their cases. bill: and welcome back, carter? a lot of new comparisons made between president obama and the former president and it's not just the republicans noting those similarities. also head to our website during the break. we are back in a moment. foxnews.com, online. martha. all the time. martha: yes we are.

martha: comparisons for some

time really have been drawn from former president jimmy quarter and his presidency and how it relates and compares to the presidency of barack obama. there they both are on the gip augustration days, 32 years apart. both faced major challenges at home and overseas but president carter as we remember got one term in the white house, and joining me now to talk about a recipes that he wrote about this is john fund, who says the interesting thing is that now parallels are mainly being drawn by democrats on this issue. he is, of course, john fund, columnist with the "wall street journal," good to see thank you morning. >> thank you. martha: i think a lot of folks look at this and they say oh, you know, conservatives would love to draw parallels between the two presidents, they're very different, but conservatives want to see president obama, carterified. >> well, look, i agree these parallels can be overblown but it's walter mondale, jimmy carter's vice president, who said look, the public turned against us, they're turning against obama, part of that is because obama is failing to

communicate with the american people, part of that is because obama turned over too much of the details of his major initiatives in congress to congress, and they messed it up. so jimmy carter himself said one of the problems in my presidency is i overburdened congress with too many expensive and politically costly initiatives. martha: right. >> then you have all these other democrats now, democrats are sinking in the polls, part of midterm elections, worrying that carter dragged down the democrats 30 years ago and obama seems to be doing the same thing. martha: i don't know, that president carter does this president any favors by going out and doing interviews and talking about his presidency and making parallels himself. on this front. but you know, one of the things that really struck me in your piece is this hunker down mentality that when presidents start to slide in the polls that there's a sort of bunker mentality that develops in the west wing and i'm wondering what you think about that and if you see that happening and how dangerous that is. >> in bob woodward's new book we have the 79's -- president's national

security adviser saying that the advisers around the president are such a small closed group, he calls it the politan bureau and it's down to four, five people that the president listens to on a regular basis. the same thing happened with jimmy carter and that tends to conflict your world view, it doesn't mean you can adapt to the changing circumstances. the real fear that haunts democrats in this election, martha, in 19 # on, reagan was able to go around the country saying a recession is when your neighbor loses his or her job, the depression is when you lose your job, and recovery is when jimmy carter loses his job. the problem with this bunker mentality is there are so many parallels to carter, a republican may be able to run around in 2012 and use the same line that reagan did to such devastating effect against carter. martha: interesting. i remember seeing parallels during the election, because jimmy carter came in after watergate, there was this real hunger in the country for a very fresh, different, outside the box take, and who came along but jimmy carter, former governor, from georgia, who sort of

answered so many of those things. in this case you had president obama, candidate obama at the time, arriving on the scene when we were in the war in iraq, things were looking very dark in many ways, and he sort of represented the same thing. do americans suffer from sort of over-- putting these people on too big a pedestal at a time like that in our history that they can barely help but not rise to expectations? >> sure. they get worried about problems in washington, whether it's watergate or the financial meltdown of 2008 and vo vote fresh faces but the fresh faces they turn to sometimes have very little experience. skpwr*euply -- jimmy carter had four years as governor of georgia, barack obama had been a senator barely two, three years when he was running for president. so this lack of experience i think ultimately makes it difficult for them to navigate the halls of washington. you want someone who's who's an outsider but also want someone who can pulls levers of congress. martha: it's a small club and i think they can all learn from the experiences

of who went before them and we'll see if this president is doing any of that from these prior experiences brought up. john, interesting piece, thank you very much. >> thank you. bill: all right. as promised now, outside of washington, d.c., the pledge to america is now being unveiled. house minority leader john boehner, the first person to talk at this event, we have videotape that is just into "america's newsroom". let's roll this and we'll get the opening comments. john boehner, moments ago: >> [inaudible] >> bill the videotape is coming in directly. martha: it's a bunch of people sitting around a table talking. bill: i guess we're waiting for the opening remarks to begin here and so are we.

the pledge to america, we got a glimpse. >> good morning, everyone. i want to thank the family for hosting us at tartan lumber today, we're here to listen to these small business people who are facing the same kind of uncertainty the small business people all over the country are dealing with. you know, the american people are asking where are the jobs. and one thing that we're going to talk about today are those, the polices that stand in the way of small businesses creating jobs in america. they don't know what their taxes are going to be, they don't know what new regulations are their way, and all of this uncertainty is causing employers in america to just hang tight and try to guess at what's going to happen next. so we're going to talk about the job killing polices that are coming out of this administration, and we're also going to talk about our ideas to reduce spending, cut taxes, and get rid of the uncertainty so the small businesses around america can do their job of

expanding their businesses and creating more jobs for the american people. we'll be happy to answer questions later and just want to thank all of you for being here today. >> thank you very much. bill: that's the opening remark from john boehner and that's something we've heard consistently, not just from republicans down the aisle but business leaders across the country, their not sure about what they should do next based on the level of taxes and they've gone into a freeze mode. one of the primary concerns about getting this economy moving is whether the banks across the country will loan to the lumber company there in virginia. it's a linchpin of trying to get the economy moving again but it's one of the components, one of the five different baskets, they refer to them, baskets in the opening pledge to america. those are the opening rashes. we'll continue to monitor

that and continue to get more speakers. but for a debate on this, fair and balanced, here's martha. martha: bill, thank you very much. let's to chew over. let's bring in our political panel, monica crowley, radio host and fox news contributor, welcome, let me get your reaction to what's in this pledge. what do you think of this? >> i read the 21 pages, march that is correct and it's just okay. you know, something is better than nothing. but here's the problem with the gop plans. there's not a lot that's new in here, there's not a lot of creative thinking. there are pledges on cutting taxes and cutting spending and rolling back obamacare, repealing obamacare and repealing a lot of regulations but here is the issue. these are all things that the gop should be doing, anyway. this is what the republican platform is all about, anyway. so to advance this agenda now, i think a lot of conservatives and a lot of republicans are saying well, of course, duh, this is what

you guys should be doing, anyway. remember that the only reason you have a tea party movement in the first place is because for years, the gop establishment, like the guys we saw around that table, blew off that agenda of limited government, lowering taxes, lowering the regulatory burden, and that's why you got the rise of the tea party. so what i think a lot of conservatives and a lot of tea party activists would have liked to have seen today is some creative thinking, like a call for a spending limitation empty, or a balanced budget amendment, and it wasn't anywhere near this, so again, something is better than nothing but this seems to be the bare minimum. martha: let's go to dick. dick, i don't expect you to be in love with the pledge to america but what's your response as a democrat who wants to see democrats win, five short weeks from now? >> you know, more than wanting democrats to win, i want this country to get back on the road to recovery and i think all of us want that. the problem i have with the republican pledge is it's slogans, not solutions, and

i think that a lot of it, for instance, the health care plan, there are a lot of good things about the obama health care plan as we see it go into effect that they can't cut you off, deny you because of preexisting conditions, that you can cover your kids up to age 27, those kinds of things are good things. you don't throw the baby out with the bath water. now, there are some things even i have problems with in that health care plan, but the republicans have to engage in congress, not to set out and throw stones, and i think this is just more of their standing outside, and i would agree, the tea party is the reaction to neither the republicans nor the democrats getting the sense of frustration. martha: what i'm hearing all over the place, and we heard it from vel ma hart a few moments ago, i don't care what party somebody is with, i want somebody who's coming up with real solutions for this country and i think you're going to hear a lot from the tea party folks about not being satisfied what is with republicans, and they see john boehner and other republicans and saying -- this is perhaps the argument, some of the

same people who were there the whole time that got us into this situation, and there's a blog note here from eric ericsson and says i doubt the republicans will be willing to take a stand in government in general, just president obama's government, just his government, and he wants a rule prohibiting earmarks. he says that would be a bridge too far. but is that something that republicans could get the ability to do, monica? >> they'd better, martha, if they want to win a majority in november and then survive after that. look, in 2006, in 2008, the country threw the republicans right out on their tails on congress and deservedly so, why? because the gop establishment went down that road of big government, big spending, big regulations and the american people said wait a minute, what is the difference here, this is why you why the tea party and i think a lot of republicans, a lot of conservatives and frankly a lot of independents, too, are looking at the gop leadership now and thinking why should we believe you this time, last time, you

wrote the contract for america, 1994, do you know the programs that they said they were going to cut, it grew by 13 percent, so i think the gop has a lot of work to do to regain the trust in the american people. martha: dick, would you recommend to democrats out there that they find ways to cut spending, that they perhaps, you know, can join the list of those who want to keep the bush tax cuts in effect? >> well, i think that i'd be in favor of the bush tax cuts being kept in effect for people that make a million dollars or less. so that average folks get it. but the real issue here is this pledge doesn't address social security, it doesn't address medicare, which between that and defense spending, in two wars right now, if you don't address those issues, this is just window dressing. this is just more of the same. martha: all right guys, thank you very much. dick, monica, thanks as always. >> thanks martha. bill: we'll let youo get you

back to virginia, we're awaiting on the president's introduction to the u.n. *pb but on the campaign trail now, this was not expected to be a race in west virginia, and t-z. democrats have held that seat for 50 years. governor joe manchin, a come -- a democrat, hugely popular politician, yet he finds himself in a very competitive fight against a businessman by the name of john racy. carl cameron is in the town of sitzville, virginia. this race was not expected to be this tight and now why is it one of the closest races in the country? carl, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it is a petri dish of what's happening, west virginia now perhaps more than anywhere else is going through what way get determined and called the obama effect. governor joe manchin is tremendously popular in this state, as governor, his approval ratings are in the mid to high 60s and he would easily be reelected governor had he chosen to do that, but with the death of bob byrd essentially forced his

hand and now they're having a special election to fill his seat. john racy has run for office three times before in this state, twice for senate in the paand each time come up short. this time, however, the polls suggest this race is going to go right down to the wire, the latest from the public policy institute, a democratic leaning poll, suggests that it's a tossup but raese has a tiny lead and across the state it's the obama agenda and the idea of nationalized health care reform, the cap and trade program that many here believe would gut the coal industry of west virginia, has put joe manchin at odds with the president and national democrats and it's hurting him, this popular governor is in serious trouble when it comes to his run for senate. bill: the way you lay that out, it suggests quite clearly that president obama is not helping in that part of the country. is that a fair statement? >> reporter: it is. it is a fair statement. in fact, it's a statement that joe manchin himself made when we spoke to him.

he opposes the stimulus spending, he opposes the cap and trade bill, and he does not oppose the health care reform bill. he says that aspects need to be repealed. his view of the obama agendas it applies to west virginia: >> when you're wrong, you're wrong. and he is wrong on issues that we believe dearly in west virginia, and we will fight and continue to fight to bring common sense values back to this great nation. >> reporter: now, john raese is a well known political entity in this state, he owns a statewide network of radio stations and has campaigned and worked very hard here. he is a conservative republican who is trying to essentially hang health care and the obama agenda around manchin's neck. no matter how hard that democratic governor tries to run from it, even he recognizes that his biggest problem is not john rases,

it's in fact barack obama and his agenda and rases's ads essentially take issue and point out that joe manchin didn't try to oppose health care reform, he didn't urge jay rockefeller, the other senator in this state to, vote against it. now he's criticizing it but at the time, he was a support. that alone may be enough to bring him down. bill: it's quite remarkable when you consider joe manchin comes from a coal mining family and how popular he has been there for some time. carl cameron, live in the western part of west virginia, thank you carl. to our viewers, all the hot political developments, head going november, are at your fingertips, wherever you are, download the new america's election headquarters iphone app, do it on the our website, fox noos.com or pick it up at the app store. takes three seconds to download it, nothing out of your day. do it now if you want. martha: you could do it on this break, that's for sure. you could do it several times on this break, probably. some of the key elements of the health care overhaul take effect today, six months after president obama signed legislation into law. they include these things:

parents can keep children up to 26 years old on the family health insurance plan, if they do not have coverage through an employer, insurers cannot deny coverage to a child because of a preexisting condition, there are no lime tile -- lifetime limits on hospital stays, insurers must pay for preventative services including immunizations, mammograms and colonoscopies without charging you deductibles, copays or insurance fees. those are some of the things that come at the front of this whole health care plan and that people want to know about. bill: big day! >> martha: big day indeed. bill: health care, pledge to america, united nations. it's pops! have you heard about this, new mothers and fathers listen up here. a major recall for a million containers of a popular baby formula and the reason is simply alarming. martha: you know it's fall. kind of fall. but it's pretty hot in wisconsin. new polls are showing republican ron johnson, this man whom you may not have heard much about, on the

righthand side of your screen, has an edge over long-time democratic senator russ feingold. how does he explain the inroads he's making in that blue state? we'll talk about that live coming up next. >> the health care bill shows you exactly how out of touch senator feingold has become. we told him to vote no on the health care bill, but he voted yes. he put his liberal agenda and partisan washington politics ahead of the express wishes of the voters of wisconsin. now, we are saddled with a bill that i believe is the greatest single assault on our freedom in my lifetime.

martha: let's get a check on the markets this morning, just opened about 15 minutes ago. we got a little bit of unwelcomed news on the jobs front, unemployment claims rose for the first time in five weeks. we had seen a little downtrend happening. whether this is an anomaly or not, we don't know, but

up 12,000, to 465 thoufpl that's not a great number. and it's down 65 points now, the dow jones industrial average, 10673, trading in a range, really, for the past couple of months. we'll keep an eye on the action on wall street, let you know what's going on. >> people that voted for these trade agreements shouldn't be reelected, people that voted for wall street bailouts and t.a.r.p. maybe shouldn't be reelected. but i vote the against those things. bill: there's russ feingold, democratic sen to, earlier this month reminding wisconsin voters why he thinks they should keep him in office, new polling shows that the 3-term incumbent democrat is in danger of losing his job to a newcomer, right of your screen, ron johnson, republican, a "rasmussen poll" shows that johnson leads in that race by seven points. with me now, from his home state, ron johnson, sir, good morning to you, thank you for your time, i've looked at your platform,

heard a few of your speeches. i think what your campaign basically boils down to is what russ feingold was trying to address in the sound bite we listened to. you are taking him on based on the stimulus plan and based on a health care plan that you think is not working for america. so what explains the seven-point lead, in a state where russ feingold has dominated politics in your state for, oh, 18 years now? >> well, good morning, bill, and thank you for having me on. i think it's a pretty simple race, it really is. i think the people across wisconsin, i think across america, quite honestly, are just sick and tired of the out of control spending and debt and russ feingold, as much as likes to say he's a pen pincher, he voted for the last two budgets which added $3 trillion to our debt, he was the deciding vote for the stimulus package which added close to a trillion dollars, and he was the deciding vote on a health care bill that willle be a huge budget buster and will destroy not a perfect system but the finest health health care system in the world and that's basically

what i'm running on. bill: on that stimulus plan, what he's hitting back at you is this: he says you had a company that took a loan from the government to the tune of $4 million. and esaccusing you of a double standard. does he have a point on that? >> it was not a loan from the bottom, it was industrial revenue bonds. he's knowingly dishonest or ignorant about what industrial revenue bond financing is. it's a loan from a bank to our business, there's no taxpayer money involved, there's no taxpayer guarantee involved at aufplt so it's simply a loan from a bank, utilizing the bonding authority of the city of osh kosh, things that hundreds of companies, thousands of companies, take advantage of, investor revenue bond financing. no, it's not from the government at all. bill: you made enough money to fuel your campaign. the republican party is meeting in virginia right now, trying to chart a future for what they say is a winning formula come november.

have you seen the pledge to america? do you agree with it? maybe a more pointed question for you as a businessman is this: what does washington not understand about what people like you need in order to be successful in america today? >> well, first of all, i have taken a look at it and it's hitting on an awful lot of themes i'm talking b we've got to put on overall cap on government spending, force the politicians in washington to prioritize spend, it's calling for a repeal of the health care bill, so there are a lot of elements i certainly agree with, but what politicians don't understand is what incentivizes people to maximize potential, what do we need to do to create an attractive environment for business creation and what it really is, we've got to get government out of the way, we've got to reduce regular hraeurbgs we've got to reduce the levels of taxation, and we have got to reduce spending and debt. we simply cannot continue to roll up the level of debt and spend thank we're incurring here in america. bill: on that, it seems like you're on to something, looking at the enthusiasm in

the state, we'll see whether that carries over for 40 some odd days. one point i want to get to, your pone rents hitting at you hard, they think your views on social security reform and global warming are way out of the mainstream. care to defend yourself on that? >> well, first of all, in terms of global warming, it's not settled science, we certainly should not penalize our economy to the tune of a trillion dollars when we have this weakened economy. and you know, in terms of social security, i am absolutely for it, for saving social security, preserving it, not only for current retirees but for future generations, and what's happened since russ feingold has been in i, we spent $2.2 trillion that has been paying the system. the money is gone, it's been spent, and i'm dedicated to actually getting to washington and helping preserve social security. bill: we have seen russ feingold's ad, he says he's the same guy you sent to washington, the invitation still stands for russ feingold to come on our program and we stand by

that, we hop he joins us here and we'll see what he says about your comments today. ron johnson, thank you, the republican candidate for senator in the state of wisconsin, who right now is in a neck and neck battle with russ feingold, thank you. >> thanks bill. bill: 11 minutes before the hour. martha. martha: we've got a lot coming up and one of the things we want to tell you about is this study on mammograms, it's sparked a new debate over the procedure and whether or not it helps detect cancer in type. we're going to tell you what researchers are now saying. this is information you'll need to know. bill: the woman from america spent more than a year, in one of iran's most notorious prisons, and she will tell that story to oprah, what she says about her two friends, including other fiance, still in jail, back in iran. >> i heard you tried to meet with him while he was in new york this week. >> we're hopeful about that. >> what do you want to say to him? >> you know, i just want him to know that i have no animosity towards him.

martha: we have got a jam packed morning for you, stpoerbgs good morning and let me tell you what's doing up -- coming up, we are awaiting the rollout of the pledge to america, that's what you see on the righthand side of your screen, a blueprint put together by republicans, how toe plan to tackle the biggest issues that face nous america if they take control of congress after the november elections and we're also in that -- staying on the right side, awaiting remarks by john boehner, house minority leader who hopes to be the majority leader son and -- soon and that's what he's working on today. on the righthand side is the u.n., of course, where we expect to see president obama shortly. he will take the podium in -- about seven minutes from now is when he is expected. two very big events unfolding today. we'll bring them to you live

as soon as they get underway. a massive recall just issued for the top selling powder infant formula similac. the maker says the formula may be contaminated with, get this, beetles or larva. about 5 million containers. it's just the powder containers, we understand. so everybody knows. those are included in the recall. liquid version, not in this recall. and while it is believed that the formula does not pose any serious health threats it could upset babies' intestinal systems and of course anything that you put in your baby is very important so you want to know about that. we have more information on the recall on the website, you can get everything you need to know at foxnews.com, also call that number on the screen: bill: all right. there was new research raising questions about the benefit of getting a routine mammogram, how is this for confusing, ladies? norwegian researchers invited women, 59 to 69 in age to have mammograms in routine care but it only cut

the death rate by 10 percent. only? that's okay, we'll take that. in women over 70, not urged to have mammograms, it was 8 percent. the point of the story is that it was much lower than everyoners had expected. so if you're confused, so are we! >> martha: all right. we have new reaction today from the american woman held captive in iran and now back on u.s. soil. sarah shourd, released last week after spending 410 days in a notorious prison in tehran. she has revealed what she would hell mahmoud ahmadinejad in an interview today. she was talking to oprah on the oprah winfrey show. >> there is no room for animosity in a situation like this. i don't know who's making the decisions, i don't know what happened to us happened. and there's no feeling of blame or earning. there's just a strong desire for it to be over so we can go on with our life. martha: well, shourd's release is bittersweet. she left behind her fiance,

shane bauer and her friend, josh fastual, the two were hiking in a border region in iraq and iran, near the iraqi border. she is going to be on "happening now". we look forward to that. bill: she has a story to tell. so do the guys on the screen. they should be home, now. we are awaiting two major events, monitoring it to the left there, that's the u.n. *pb, president obama in the room, going through the revolving door, he will speak to the u.n. and address america and the world in a matter of moments. he'll sue that live here. also martha. >> martha: out of virginia, house republicans are unveiling what they call the pledge to america, they're trying to tackle some of the big issues, spending, health care, that are very much on the minds of americans as they get ready to head to the polls. we're going to have that event live for you. that is moments away. we'll be right back. let me tell you about a very important phone call i made.

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martha: "fox news alert," we have a busy morning underway, folks, seconds away from two speeches that will be watched and talked about throughout today. you want to see what is said here. screen left, we're waiting the leader of the free world at the united nations general assembly, president obama nerd room, moments ago, we saw him come in in new york city, this is televised live around the globe, everything he says will be noted in many countries, our allies an enemies alike and we'll be watching that. on the right-hand side of your screen, john boehner expected to -- at the podium in the a d.c. suburb unfailing what the republican party is billing as their pledge to america. which may remind you of something like the contract with america and hope to recreate the scenario newt gingrich started in 1994 when they ushered in republican victories across the board and changed the hands of the leadership of congress and that is how we start -- >> first time in 50 years, at that time. martha: that is how we start down this thursday morning, brand new hour of "america's newsroom," a lot on the plate, i'm martha maccallum. bill: i'm bill hemmer, good

morning, martha. martha: good morning, bill. bill: dueling dignitaries, the president addressing a laundry list of international issues and congressman boehner billing the talk that's republican blueprint for change in 2010. martha: and, to ask about all of this, karl rove, senior advisor and chief of staff to president george w. bush and a fox news contributor. good morning, good to see you. >> good morning, martha. martha: you got a chance to look at the 21-page documented, the pledge to america, that is being made, as i said, hoping to recreate what happened in 1994, is the document up to snuff in your opinion? >> there are a couple of weak points, but, yes, impressive document and in fact the back story is even more impressive and the document itself, 21 pages in length and spells out changes the republicans would propose in jobs, spending, health care, the reform of washington, and, national defense, and, what is interesting is, all of these practical suggestions that they have -- >> karl, we have to go off of your picture, i apologize, going

to the u.n., president obama stepped up to the podium. we'll listen in: >> president barack obama:... as president of the united states. we know this is no ordinary time for our people. each of us comes here with our own problems and priorities. but, there are also challenges that we share in common as leaders, and as nations. we meet within an institution built from the rubble of war. designed to unite the world in pursuit of peace. and we meet within a city that for centuries has welcomed people from across the globe. demonstrating that individuals of every color, faith, and station can come together to pursue opportunities. build a community.

and live with the blessing of human liberties. outside the doors of this hall the blocks and neighborhoods of this great city tell the story of a difficult decade. nine years ago the destruction of the world trade center, signaled the threat that respected no boundary of dignity, or decency. two years ago, this month, a financial crisis on wall street devastated american families on main street. and these separate challenges have affected people around the globe. men and women and children have been murdered by extremists from casablanca to london and jalalabad to jakarta. the global economy suffered an enormous blow during the financial crisis, crippling

markets and deferring the dreams of millions on every continent. underneath these challenges, to our security, and prosperity lie deeper fears. that ancient hatreds has ascended and, things have slipped beyond our control and these are challenges my administration has confronted since we came into office and today i'd like to talk about what we have done over the last 20 months to meet these challenges. what our responsibility is, to pursue peace, in the middle east, and what kind of world we are trying to build, in this 21st century. let me begin with what we have done. i have had no greater focus as president than rescuing our economy from potential catastrophe.

and in an age when prosperity is shared, we could not do this alone. so, america has joined with nations around the world to spur growth and renew demand that could restart job creation. we are reforming our system of global finance, beginning with wall street reform, here at home. so that a crisis like this never happens again. and we made the g-20 the focal point for international foreign nations, because in a world where prosperity is more diffuse, we must broaden our circle of cooperation to include emerging economies from every quarter of the globe. there is much to show for our efforts. even as there is much work to be done. the global economy has been pulled back from the brink of a depression, and is growing once

more. we have resisted protectionism. and are exploring ways to expand trade and commerce among nations. but we cannot and will not rest until these seeds of progress grow into a broader prosperity, not only for all americans, but for people around the globe. as for our common security... america's waging a more effective fight against al qaeda, while winding down the war in iraq. since i took office, the united states has removed nearly 100,000 troops from iraq. we have done so responsibly, as iraqis have transitioned the lead responsibility for the security of their country. we are now focused on building a lasting partnership with the iraqi people. while keeping our commitment to remove the rest of our troops by the end of next year.

while growidrawing down in iraq have refocused on defeating al qaeda and denying its affiliates a safe haven. in afghanistan, the united states and our allies are pursuing a strategy to break the taliban's momentum and build the capacity of afghanistan's government and security forces, so that a transition to afghan responsibilities can begin next july. and from south asia, to the horn of africa, we are moving toward a more targeted approach, one that strengthens our partners and dismantles terrorist networks without deploying large american armies. as we pursue the world's most dangerous extremists, we're also denying them the world's most dangerous weapons. and pursuing the peace and security of a world without

nuclear weapons. earlier this year, 47 nations embraced a work plan to secure all vulnerable nuclear materiel within mofour years and joined with russia to sign the most comprehensive arms control treaty in decades. we have reduced the role of nuclear weapons in our security threats and, here at the united nations, we came together to strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. as part of our efforts, on nonproliferation, i offered the islamic republic of iran an extended hand, last year. and underscored that it has both rights and responsibilities as a member of the international community. i also said in this hall that iran must be held accountable if it failed to meet those

responsibilities, and that is what we have done. iran is the only partner in the mpt that cannot demonstrate the peaceful intentions of its nuclear program and those actions have consequences. for u.n. security council resolution 1929 we made it clear that international law is not an empty promise. now, let me be clear once more: the united states and the international community seek a resolution to our differences with iran and the door remains open to diplomacy should iran choose to walk through it. and the iranian government must demonstrate a clear and credible commitment and confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear program. as we combat the spread of deadly weapons, we're also confronting the specter of climate change.

after making historic investments in clean energy and efficiency at home we helped forge an accord in copenhagen that, for the first time, permits all major economies to reduce their emissions. and we are keenly aware of -- that this is just a first step, and in going forward we'll support a process in which all major economies meet our responsibilities to protect the planet, while unleashing the power of clean energy to serve as an engine of growth and development. america's also embraced unique responsibilities with -- that come with our power. since the rains came and floodwaters rose in pakistan we have pledged our assistance, and we should all support the pakistani people as they recover and rebuild. and when the earth shook and haiti was devastated by loss we joined a coalition of nations in response.

today, we honor those from the u.n. family who lost their lives in the earthquake. and commit ourselves to stand with the people of haiti until they can stand on their own two feet. amidst this upheaval, we have also been persistent in our pursuit of peace. last year, i pledged my best efforts to support the goal of two states: israel and palestine. living side by side in peace, and security. as part of a comprehensive peace between israel and all of its neighbors. we have traveled a winding road over the last 12 months, with few peaks and many valleys. but this month, i am pleased that we have pursued direct negotiations between israelis

and palestinians in washington, sharm el sheikh and jerusalem. now, i recognize many are pessimistic about the process. the cynics say that israelis and palestinians are too distrustful of each other to forge lasting peace. rejectionists on both sides will try and disrupt the process with bitter words and with bombs. and with gunfire. some say that the gaps between the parties are too big, the potential for talks to break down is too great and that, after decades of failure, peace is simply not possible. i hear those voices of skepticism. but i ask you to consider the alternative. if an agreement is not reached

palestinians will never know the pride and dignity that comes with their own state. israelis will never know the certainty and security that comes with sovereign and stable neighbors who are committed to co-exist. the hard realities of democracy will take hold. more blood will be shed. this holy land will remain a symbol of our differences instead of our common humanity. i refuse to accept that future. and we all have a choice to make. each of us must choose the path of peace. of course that responsibility begins with the parties themselves, who must answer the call of history. earlier this month, at the white house, i was struck by the words of both the israeli and

palestinian leaders. prime minister netanyahu said, i came here today to find a historic compromise that will enable both people to live in peace, security and dignity. president abbas said, we will spare no effort and we will work diligently and tirelessly to ensure those negotiations achieve their goal. these words must now be followed by actions. and i believe that both leaders have the courage to do so. but, the road that they have to travel is exceedingly difficult. which is why i call upon israelis and palestinians and the world to rally behind the goal that these leaders now share. we know that there will be tests along the way and that one test is fast approaching. israel's settlement moratorium has made a difference on the

ground. and improved the atmosphere for talks. our position on the issue is well-known. we believe the moratorium should be extended. we also believe that talks should press on until complete. now is the time for the parties to help each other overcome disaster. now is the time to build the trust and provide the time for substantial progress to be made. now is the time another opportunity to be seized. so that it does not slip away. peace must be made by israelis and palestinians, but each of us has a responsibility to do our part as well. those of us who are friends of israel must understand that true security for the jewish state requires an independent palestine that allows the palestinian people to live with

dignity and opportunity and those of us who are friends of the palestinians must understand that the rights of the palestinian people will be won only through peaceful means, including genuine reconciliation with a secure israel. i know many in this hall count themselves as friends of the palestinians. these pledges of friendship must now be supported by deeds. those who have signed onto the peace initiative should seize the opportunity and take tangible steps towards the normalization that is promised, and those who speak on behalf of palestinian self-government, should help the palestinian authority politically and financially, and in doing so, help the palestinians build the institutions of their state. those who long to see an

independent palestine must also stop trying to tear down israel. after thousands of years, jews and arabs are not strangers in a strange land. after 60 years, in the community of nations, israel's existence must not be a subject for debate. israel is a sovereign state and the historic homeland of the jewish people. it should be clear to all that the efforts to chip away at israel's legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the united states. and efforts to threaten or kill israelis will do nothing to help the palestinian people. the slaughter of innocent israelis is not resistance, it is injustice. and make no mistake, the courage of a man like president abbas, who stands up for his people in front of the world, under very

difficult circumstances, is far greater than those who fire rockets at innocent women and children. the conflict between israelis and arabs is as old as this institution. and we can come back here, next year, as we have for the last 60 years, and make long speeches about it, we can read familiar lists of grievances, we can table the same resolutions, we can further empower the forces of rejectionism, and hate, and we can waste more time by carrying forward an argument that will not help a single israeli or palestinian child achieve a better life. we can do that. or we can say that this time will be different. this time we will not let tear railroad or turbulence or posturing or petty politics stand in the way. this time we'll think not of ourselves, but of the young girl in gaza, who wants to have no

ceiling on her dreams. or the young boy who wants to sleep without the nightmare of rocket fire. this time we should draw upon the teachings that lie at the heart of three great religions. we should reach for what is best within ourselves. if we do when we come back next year we could have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the united nations, an independent, sovereign state of palestine living in peace with israel. [applause]. bill: >> it is our destiny to bear the burdens of the challenges i have addressed. recession and war and conflict.

and there is always a sense of urgency, even emergency, that drives most of our foreign policies. and indeed, after millennia marked by wars, this very institution reflects the desire of human beings to create a forum to deal with emergencies that will inevitably come. but, even as we confront immediate challenges, we must also summon the foresight to look beyond them and consider, what are we trying to build over the long term? what is this world that awaits us when today's battles are brought to an end? that is what i would like to talk about with the remainder of my time today. one of the first actions of the general assembly was to adopt a universal declaration of human rights in 1948. that declaration begins by stating that recognition of the inherent dignity and of the

equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. the idea is a simple one. that freedom, justice and peace for the world must begin with freedom, justice and peace in the lives of individual human beings. for the united states this is a matter of moral and pragmatic necessity. as robert kennedy said, the individual man, the child of god, is the touchstone of value, and all society, groups, and states, exist for his benefit. so we stand up for universal values because it is the right thing to do. but we also know from experience that those who defend these

values for their people have been our closest friends and allies. those who have denied those rights, whether terrorist groups or tyrannical governments have chosen to be our adversaries. human rights have never gone unchallenged, not in any of our nations. not in our world. tyranny is still with us. whether it manifests itself in the taliban killing girls who try to go to school, a north korean regime that enslaves its own people, or a group that uses rape as a weapon of war. in times of economic unease, there can also be an anxiety about human rights. today, as in past times of economic down turns, some put human rights aside for the

promise of short-term stability. or the false notion that economic growth can come at the expense of freedom. we see abolishing term limits and crack downs on society and smothering entrepreneurship and good governance and we see democratic reforms deferred indefinitely. as i said last year, each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its own people. yet, experience shows us that history is on the side of liberty. that the strongest foundation for human progress lies in open economies, open societies, and open governments. to put it simply: democracy, more than any other form of government, delivers for our citizens. and i believe that truth will

only grow stronger in a world where the borders between nations are blurred. america's working to shape a world, the closed or corrupt economy must never eclipse the energy and innovation of human beingses. all of us want the right to educate our children. to make a decent wage and care for the sick and to be carried as far as our dreams will take us but that depends upon economies that test the power of our people including the phones of women and girlses. that means letting entrepreneurs start a business without paying a bribe and governments that support opportunity instead of stealing from their people. and that means rewarding hard work, instead of reckless risk-taking. yesterday, i put forward a new development policy that will pursue these goals.

recognizing that dignity is a human right. and global development is in our common interest. america will partner with nations that offer their people a path out of poverty. and together, we must unleash growth that empowers by individuals and emerging markets in all parts of the globe. there is no reason why africa should not be an exporter of agriculture. which is why our food security initiative is empowering farmers. there is no reason why entrepreneurs shouldn't be able to build new markets in every society, which is why i hosted a summit on entrepreneurship earlier this spring. because the obligation of government is to empower individuals, not to impede them. the same holds true for civil society. the arc of human progress has been shaped by individuals with

the freedom to assemble and by organizations outside of government, that insisted upon democratic change. and by free media that held the powerful accountable. we have seen that from the south africans who stood up to apartheid poles with solidarity and mothers who spoke out against the dirty war and americans who marched for the rights of all races, including my own. civil society is the conscience of our communities. and america will always extend our engagement abroad with citizens beyond the halls of government. and we will call out those who suppress ideas and serve as a voice for those who are voiceless. we will promote new tools of communication so people are empowered to connect with one another and in repressive societies, to do so with security. we will support a free and open

internet so individuals have the information to make up their own minds. and it is time to embrace and effectively monitor norms that advance the rights of civil society and guarantee its expansion within and across borders. open society supports open government. but it cannot substitute for it. there is no right more fundamental than the ability to choose your leaders and determine your destiny. now, make no mistake the ultimate success of democracy in the world will not come because the united states dictates it. it will come because individual citizens demand a say in how they are governed. there is no soil where the notion cannot take root. this is every democracy -- every democracy reflects the uniqueness of a nation. later this fall i will travel to asia and i will visit india which peacefully threw off

colonialism and established a thriving democracy of over a billion people. i'll continue to indonesia, the world's largest muslim majority country, which binds together thousands of islands through the glue of representative government, and civil society. i'll join the g20 meeting on the korean peninsula which provides the world's clearest contrast between a society that is dynamic, and open, and free, and one that is imprisoned and closed. and i will concluded my trip in japan, an ancient culture that found peace in extand extraordi development through democracy. each of these countries gives life to democratic principles in their own way. and even as some governments roll back reform, we also celebrate the courage of a president in columbia who willingly stepped aside, or the promise of a new constitution in

kenya. the common thread of progress is the principle that government is accountable to its citizens. and the diversity in this room makes clear, no one country has all the answers, but all of us must answer to our own people. in all parts of the world we see the promise of innovation, to make government more open and accountable and, now we must build on that progress. and when we gather back here, next year, we should bring specific commitments to promote transparency, to fight corruption, to energize civic engagement, to leverage new technology, so that we strengthen the foundation, the freedom in our own countries while living up to the ideals that can light the world. this institution can still play an indispensable role in the advance of human rights. it is time to welcome the efforts of u.n. women, to protect the rights of women

around the globe. [applause]. bill: >> it is time to open elections to international monitors and increase the u.n. democracy fund. it is time to reinvigorate u.n. peace-keeping so mission have the resources necessary to succeed. and, so, atrocities like sexual violence are prevented and justice is enforced. because neither dignity, nor democracy can thrive without basic security. it is time to make this institution more accountable as well. because the challenge of the new century demands new ways of serving our common interest. the world that america seeks is not one we can build on our own. for human rights to reach those who suffer the boot of oppression, we need your voices

to speak out. in particular, i appeal to those nations who emerged from tyranny, and inspired the world in the second half of the last century, from south africa to south asia. from eastern europe, to south america. don't stand idly by. don't be silent. when dissidents elsewhere are imprisoned and protesters are beaten. recall your own history, because part of the price of our own freedom is standing up for the freedom of us. that belief will guide america's leadership in the 21st century. it is a belief that has been through more than two centuries of trials. and it will see us through the challenges we face today, be it war, recession, conflict or

division. so even as we have come through a difficult decade, i stand here before you, confident in the future. a future where iraq is governed by neither tyrant nor a foreign power, and afghanistan is freed from the the turmoil of war, and a future where the children of israel and palestine can build a peace that was not possible for the parents. a world where the promise of development reaches into the prisons, of poverty, and disease. a future where the cloud of recession gives way to the light of renewal. and the dream of opportunity is available to all. this future will not be easy to reach. it will not come without setbacks nor will it be quickly claimed. but the founding of the united nations itself is a testament to human progress. remember, in times that were for

more trying than our own our predecessors chose the hope of unity over the ease of division. and made a promise to future generations that the dignity and equality of human beings would be our common cause. it falls to us to fulfill the promise and though we'll be met by dark forces that will test our resolve, americans have always had cause to believe that we can choose a better history and we need only to look outside the walls around us. through the citizens of every conceivable ancestry who make the city their own, we see living proof that opportunity can be accessed by all, that what unites us as hemabeinuman is far greater than what divides us and, every person in this world can live together in peace. thank you very much. [applause]. martha: there you have it,

president obama speaking at the u.n., we're joined now by karl rove who is still with us, we also now have ambassador stu holiday, a former ambassador to the u.n. for special political affairs. a number of things jumped out at me here, karl, one of which was the reference to iraq, and, saying we pulled out responsibly, iraq is no longer governed by a tyrant or a foreign power, and, your thoughts on that, and anything else that jumped out at you. >> well, that was a brief mention, and, there was a check the box quality to a lot of the speech and that was it. i liked the four paragraphs that followed on iran and i thought he made a good point, iran has rights and responsibilities. and, accent 2008ed tuated the responsibilities it has, and it ended on a weak note but i was struck by how he took the tone of expanding democracy which he heretofore avoided, there is no soil in which democracy cannot

take hold and this is a little different than the president for example last year when the iranian elections were held and he was dismissive of the united states standing up for democracy, but the news, one -- the news today, the president set an arbitrary deadline to get a middle east peace deal done by next year's general assembly meeting and it never works in the middle east, you can never set a deadline and particularly the president's attitude that there is a moral equivalency, i was taken by the comments of rejectionists on both sides will try and disrupt the process with bitter words and with bombs and last time i looked it was hezbollah and hamas that were lobbing missiles into israel and exploding bombs and the idea there is some kind of moral equivalency between the terrorists who try to disrupt the process and israeli political opponents of this is laughable and undermines the credibility of the president on this point. martha: to stewart holiday. what struck you in the speech and your thoughts on what karl

noticed as well? >> well i think, first of all, i think it is interesting, as karl noted. a lot of the speech was devoted to the sort of restatement of our values, and the individual of freedom, and democracy and are not necessarily the themes that have been emphasized over the last couple of years and i think it is an effort to remind those around the world who may feel we have had other pressing issues, economic or otherwise, this is still an important american priority and the middle east, it is worth noting the united nations has not been the context or the institution that has been driving the peace process, and so, in effect what he is doing is speaking directly to the capitals, principally, in the arab world and staked the foreign policy on this achievement of the very, very difficult goal as karl mentioned and i think particularly referring to the arab peace initiative looking for those arab capitals to make statements

they would normalize relations with israel if israel moved further down the track. martha: you know, it is interesting, talked about human rights, karl and talked about responsibility and responsibility that comes with freedom, and, i wonder what you think about that, about, you know, america's role now, could this president be stronger in his leadership against human rights issues around the globe and is that something we have the luxury and the ability, perhaps to do, consider what we are facing at home right now. >> the united states can exercise moral leadership and i thought it was the strongest part of the president's speech. sometimes simply saying the truth matter, we, small d democrats, will we stand for universal values and freedom and that it was perhaps the strongest part of the speech and it was a good reminder to the united nations, itself, he made the comment, we all have a responsibility to expand the range of freedom around the world which i thought was good and playing off of something that stewart said, though, he made a very good point by making

the call to arab governments and, in essence recognize israel -- israel's right to exist, this is an interesting thing. but if you are president you don't want to make calls for things that be done by your allies they are not willing to do. you have to be a bit careful and want to push and product them and i hope the president said this was with a sense there would be a positive statement out of arab capitals in the months to come, otherwise it may tend to undermine the process, of seeking an agreement, rather than strengthening it. martha: i wanted your thoughts on one last thing before we go, that is afghanistan, and if you could address it first, stuart. he said so the transition to afghan responsibility can begin next july and he took the opportunity to mention that again and stress his, you know, importance that that is something that needs to happen and we have general petraeus coming out, recently and saying, you know, that is a benchmark, the time when we'll look at how things are going. >> of course the issue is being looked at from the standpoint of

the military necessity on the grounds of what our objective is, complete security, a sort of a got a points where we can pull our forces out, and transfer? i think, i was surprised he didn't go a little bit further into afghanistan since it is -- has a u.n. mandate and look for more burden-sharing and greater commitments by other economies, because, if we're going to reduce our footprint after a certain period of time it will be morton that that vacuum not be filled, and it will take a lot of contributions an effort, which had been very, very difficult to extract from some of our allies. martha: karl, thought on afghanistan and the deadline? >> this is a problem, because, the president looks like he wants to get out of there, regardless of what the situation is and, look, we're not the only people in the u.s., who hear the speech, it is seen and heard around the world and this kind of talk simply causes our opponents in the region and the enemy to say the united states can be waited out and the president needed to show more strengths and stuart is right,

if he were expecting to transition america's role out, a call for international assistance would have been appropriate and useful. martha: karl, thank you very much, stuart holiday, good to talk to you as well. thanks, gentlemen. bill: to the other big events, dueling events here in "america's newsroom," moments ago, northern virginia, republican leaders of the house side, released their pledge to america. it is 21 pages in length and to take the house and the senate that fall, this would be their top priority. they say they want america to learn about it, and to know about it. here's the house minority leader, john boehner, he'll kick things off, this is on videotape, we took this in from virginia while the president was talking at the u.n. let's listen. john boehner, in virginia, moments ago. >> all the people here for their hospitality, and i want to thank congressman frank wolf who represents this district and is with us today. you know, the american people are speaking up, like never

before. they are concerned about the future of our nation, and, the future for their children. and they see a government in washington that is not listening, doesn't get it, and frankly the american people think that washington doesn't really care. we're here today to put forth a new governing agenda built by listening to the american people, that offers a new way forward. and before i served in congress i ran a small business. and i learned first hand how government gets into the way of job creation in our country. the policies coming out of washington are creating massive uncertainty for job-creators and the american people are suffering as a result. in order to create jobs, we need to end the uncertainty, for job creators, and, the spending spree in washington, and reform congress itself. government is out of control in

washington and we need to rein it in and begin a new drive for a smaller, less costly and more accountable government in our nation's capital. these are the things the american people are demanding. and our pledge to america is that the republicans stand ready to get it done, and beginning today. none of this would have been possible without the work of kevin mccarthy, our colleague from california, who has spent the last six months working night and day to put this project together. kevin? >> thank you, mr. leader. the document we released today finally answers the question, tens of millions of americans are asking. will we leave to our children a stronger, healthier, more prosperous country than our parents left us? as we stand here before you, the

future of the country hangs in the balance. across this great nation, mothers and fathers wonder if their children will find the same opportunities for success that existed just a generation ago. can you blame them? as a result of the economic disastrous policies of the current administration, millions of americans today are out of work. and our children will be saddled with the deficit and debt that is, by every definition, out of control. we have more people depending on food stamps to feed their families than at any other point in history. the economy is so dire that one in six americans has to rely on government assistance for financial support. one in six. the land of opportunity has become the land of shrinking prosperity. americans across this country are outraged. and so are we. just as john hancock boldly signed his name to the

declaration of independence, so even britain's king george could read it, i want to say this slowly... so there is no room for misinterpretation... our government has failed us. from the billion-dollar bailout, to the stimulus package, that failed to stimulate and the government takeover of health care, you cried, stop. but the democratic majority in washington has refused to listen. we are here today to tell you that we have been listening. and we have heard you. we heard you loud and clear. and we assure you there is nothing more inspiring than the common voice of the common man. when you said you wanted a more prosperous, competitive economy, we heard you. when you said you wanted a more accountable government, we heard you. when you said you wanted to repeal the health care bill, we heard you. we know that you wanted a

governments de government dedicated to working for the people and that is why we've written the pledge to america, our solemn commitment to serving you. this pledge is not about republicans or democrats, liberals or conservatives. it is about you. this pledge focuses largely on three things: a plan to create jobs, end economic uncertainty, and make america more competitive. a plan to cut wasteful washington spending and reduce the size of government. a plan to reform congress and restore trust in government. the new agenda embodies americans' rejection of the notion that we can simply tax, borrow, and spend our way to prosperity. it offers a new way forward that has not been tried in washington. an approach focused on cutting spending. which is sadly a new idea for congress. to put americans back to work, our agenda seeks to eliminate uncertainty for the private

sector. the innovators and entrepreneurs who create jobs. and it commits to immediate action to change the way congress works. this pledge is a governing agenda, that can be implemented right now, if the powers that be in washington will bring it up. we are calling on speaker pelosi and majority leader reid to implement these proposals before congress leaves this fall. we pledge to you that we'll create jobs, end economic uncertainty, and make america more competitive. we will cut washington wasteful spending and reduce the size of government. and, we will reform congress and restore your trust in government. we pledge to uphold the model for our country our founders envisioned. a grander america, the exception among the nations of the earth. where promise of liberty

refreshes the hopes of mankind and if our current troubles somewhat dimmed the light of the shining city on the hill we pledge to recharge them. they will not go out on our watch. more than 60% of americans believe our country is headed in the wrong path. they are right. the pledge of the governing agenda that we'll pursue today in order to turn the country around and put us back on the right track. we are optimists. we firmly believe we live in the land of great promise. and great possibilities. a land where, until recently, our tomorrows held more promise than our yesterdays. and we are not ready to concede the fight for the prosperity of our country. we refuse to believe that that same american dream that shone so brightly for our parents, dimmed for our children and we

must reverse our course of action and reject the economically poisonous policies of the democratic majority. we will take back our country and we will restore for a better future. this is our pledge to you. the pledge to america. bill: again, moments ago in virginia, that was on video tame the events is wrapping up now, and the message from republican leader, our government failed us and today, the response and its pledge to america, 21 pages in length and a new agenda they say that deals with cutting taxes and cutting spending to make america strong yet again and now they'll try and sell the idea to american voters, 40 days from now. chris wallace, the anchor of fox news sunday with me now, good morning to you. no ties, no jackets at that event, a good gig when you can get it in september. you have seen the pledge to america and evaluate it how, chris. >> it is interesting. i was talking to a top republican last night, bill, and i said, because this was controversial whether or not to come out with a pledge at all. there are a lot of people who said all it does is give

democrats something to fire on, and we're doing really well, opposing the obama agenda. he said the formula here is basically 80/20. 80% of what we'll be doing between now and november 2nd, is going after the democrats going after the obama agenda but the 20% is a positive, affirmative agenda of our own, when democrats say we have no ideas, we're the party of "no" we have to have something to fire back with and this pledge is that. and, not a lot of shocking ideas, it is obviously standard conservative thought, lower spending, less taxes, less regulation, and, some tie in to the tea party and each piece of legislation has to go through a vetting and which portion of the constitution allowed it and some conservatives are upset with the pledge, bill on a couple of points, one, no talk of entitlement reform, the vast majority of what has gotten us into the huge debt hole, and no talk about how to reform social

security, medicare and medicaid and very little talk about social issues. a passing reference to the institution of marriage, it calls for making the hyde which makes banning of funding abortion permanent and, social issues like same sex marriage and social conservatives are upset about that, but, generally speaking it will be something they can take to voters and say, here's are our ideas. bill: their ideas and also, listen to the polling, because, every poll you listen to, and look at, it's the economy, and jobs. and, if nogthing else, if the party can, well, speak with one voice, which political parties want to do, if they can focus like a laser on one topic and get everybody on page that is when you have the most effective possibilities of change which is what they are looking for in 40 days. >> well that is exactly right. and more specifically,

independents. they'll be the key to the election and republicans will vote for republicans and democrats though they may not be as enthusiastic and may not turn out will vote for the democrats and they need to win the independents and are at this point. and know talking a lot about social issues turns off independents, but talking about lower taxes, less spending, more government accountability, is something that is right up the alley of appealing to independents, and, they are going with their strengths. bill: we have had two great guests on morning, velma hart, the woman who spoke earlier in the week on the panel and ron johnson, wisconsin republican, challenging in a big way, feingold, and i bring both of them, because, democrats reject social security and give tax cuts to the middle class and help the middle class through the "make it america" manufacturing strategy. now, you ask people like velma hart and that is a hard sell now and ask the people of wisconsin

based on the voter gap of enthusiasm, between republicans and democrats, and that is where the -- what the independent voters are telling politicians, what the middle class is telling politicians, the disconnect is significant. so, get it together, otherwise you will be out and republicans have the -- if they take the house, if they take the senate in november, the clock starts ticking yet again and america waits to watch and see what republicans do, once they, if they are back in power. >> i think republicans are keenly aware of that. they had kind of an easy situation here and all they had to do was oppose the obama agenda and as you point out, a lot of independents, not committed conservatives, republicans, but independents feel they overreached and overread what the mandate was in 2008. and if they take back the house, and especially if they take back the house and senate, so they have control of a whole branch of government, it is much more of an obligation on them to produce, to perform, to show that they have a better idea for

where to take the country, and there are a lot of areas and for instance talked about cutting $100 billion in spending in the pledge to america, no statement as to where they'll get that money, it just by coincidence, we're going to have the two people you had on, john boehner and kevin mccarthy as our exclusive guests on sunday and one of the questions we'll ask is let's put meat on the bones of the pledge to america and explain it and we're also going to have extendy hour, the house majority leader and ask him, you know, at least they've come up with this and what is your agenda and how does that appeal to a lot of americans who are not happy with the direction the last two years. bill: we're in that season, chris and we'll check you out on sunday, steny hoyer, as chris mentioned there, check out fox news sunday, every sunday morning, new york, on at 10:00 a.m. and might be 9:00 in your area, check your local listings, but john boehner and kevin mccarthy and we heard from both gentlemen in northern virginia, thanks for your time and waiting that one out there in washington as we get to the u.n. and also

through the marts in northern virginia, thank you, chris. >> you bet. martha: krucoming up, a really l story, highly trained dogs are on the hunts for contraband in prison but are not looking for weapons or drugs. adam housely goes inside the lockup and reports to us from inside the prison, you haven't seen this, folks, in a long time. everyone has someone to go heart healthy for. who's your someone? campbell's healthy request can help. low cholesterol, zero grams trans fat, and a healthy level of sodium. it's amazing what soup can do.

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martha: we've been talking about cell phone smuggling which has become a huge problem with california state prisons and what they're doing, folks s. quite scary, correction officials report they got 7000 of these phones, in fact, in the prison walls, what they're being used for is dangerous. adam housely has an inside look of some of what's going on inside there, in the lockup, adam housely. >> reporter: it's a big problem not just here in california but across the country because cell phones are being used as you mentioned inside prisons, in some cases to call out hits

like we heard from serrie's story. what's happened in california, they found these dogs and determined that dogs can sniff out a certain chemical that's in each and every cell phone so a dog can be trained to sniff out cell phones, basically. it's incredibly impressive. here at this prison, donovan state prison, they found three yesterday when we were with them inside, one was in a shoe, one was in a package of raman noodles and the third one, the prisoner saw us coming, tried to flush it down the toilet, and they have found 50 since the dogs came here. martha: i would think metal detectors can pick up some of this. how big a problem is the cell phone smuggling out there? >> it's a huge problem, not just in california. metal detectors won't do it, they can be stuck in walls, and technology is helping but these dogs do find a significant amount. three years ago, they found 1400 cell phones in california state prison, two

years ago, 2800, last year, 7000, this year, they've surpassed 7000 if they had more of these dogs teams, if the budget was bigger they would find even more. it's literally a matter of manpower and again, martha, more than 7000 found this year alone, they're going to smash the record again. martha: all right, adam, very interesting, thank you very much. adam housely reporting from san diego. bill: cool stuff, thank you adam for that. big news this morning. we'll see what the american people say about the pledge to america. martha: there's a lot of debate about that. bill: a lot. we're 40 days away from when america decides. martha: i'm curious about how different factions of conservatives view this, what the tea party folks think about it. bill: it's a good point, halely bash be says a lot of the ideas you're hearing in pledge of america is what republican governors are already incorporating into their own governing of states right now, that debate can begin, too. martha: i want to remind women to get mammograms. there's a lot of information but most doctors agree